Sorry For Your Loss: What Working with the Dead Taught Me About Life
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- Create Date：2022-07-19 00:51:59
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kate Marshall
- ISBN：1914451562
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Summary
Following Kate Marshall’s first year in the mortuary at a north of England NHS hospital， with each month exploring the people she meets， in life and death， as well as her own growing awareness of life behind the veil。
– Meet Mr X: Found in his apartment months after his death， Mr X has no relatives that can be traced。 He is the longest-serving resident of the mortuary， having been there for almost a year while the search for his elusive family continues。 The staff talk to him like an old friend， but Mr X is disintegrating and a decision has to be made soon。
- Meet Mary: Her baby girl has been lost in the 15th week of pregnancy， Mary’s last chance to have a child。 Mary won’t allow Abigail to leave the mortuary until she has finished reading a book to her。 She visits twice each day， sitting with her baby， reading to her， speaking to no one， until she finally opens up to Kate。
- Meet Joe: A loving husband and father who has died suddenly of a heart attack。 Joe is visited by his wife， his children – and his mistress。 On the day that all his worlds collide， Kate witnesses how death can finally reveal the truth of years of lies。
Sorry for Your Loss is haunting， uplifting and informative， with many moments of laughter， and shows us that the way we approach death can make life all the more precious。
– Meet Mr X: Found in his apartment months after his death， Mr X has no relatives that can be traced。 He is the longest-serving resident of the mortuary， having been there for almost a year while the search for his elusive family continues。 The staff talk to him like an old friend， but Mr X is disintegrating and a decision has to be made soon。
- Meet Mary: Her baby girl has been lost in the 15th week of pregnancy， Mary’s last chance to have a child。 Mary won’t allow Abigail to leave the mortuary until she has finished reading a book to her。 She visits twice each day， sitting with her baby， reading to her， speaking to no one， until she finally opens up to Kate。
- Meet Joe: A loving husband and father who has died suddenly of a heart attack。 Joe is visited by his wife， his children – and his mistress。 On the day that all his worlds collide， Kate witnesses how death can finally reveal the truth of years of lies。
Sorry for Your Loss is haunting， uplifting and informative， with many moments of laughter， and shows us that the way we approach death can make life all the more precious。
Reviews
Denise Forrest
，
What happens behind the scenes in a hospital mortuary？ A really interesting book which recounts some of the encounters the author has had with the deceased and their families。 It is fascinating to hear about the different ways people react when they have lost someone close to them。 Although we know that people work in the mortuary， because we try not to think too much about what happens when we die， I had no real idea of what these people actually do。 This was both enlightening and heart warming What happens behind the scenes in a hospital mortuary？ A really interesting book which recounts some of the encounters the author has had with the deceased and their families。 It is fascinating to hear about the different ways people react when they have lost someone close to them。 Although we know that people work in the mortuary， because we try not to think too much about what happens when we die， I had no real idea of what these people actually do。 This was both enlightening and heart warming in a strange kind of way。 The author describes the care and dignity afforded to each and every corpse and I only hope that when I next have to deal with mortuary staff that they will show the same compassion that she describes。I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Ivory Castle
，
I was aware the living can act in strange ways when confronted with death but I wasnt expecting someone working in a related field to have such compassion， respect and regard for the dead。 The care the author put into to making the bodies especially babies and children look as normal as possible and the kindness provided to next of kin was really moving。 It has made me curious if the dead are treated similarly in Australia。Reading this book was a very enlightening experience which has opened my I was aware the living can act in strange ways when confronted with death but I wasnt expecting someone working in a related field to have such compassion， respect and regard for the dead。 The care the author put into to making the bodies especially babies and children look as normal as possible and the kindness provided to next of kin was really moving。 It has made me curious if the dead are treated similarly in Australia。Reading this book was a very enlightening experience which has opened my mind to a different viewpoint on death itself and the process。 Also the effect of the never ending nightmare of COVID on mortuaries was something I hadn’t considered up till now。 I can only imagine how stressful it was for staff involved during the worst of it all。Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free digital copy of the book in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Stephanie Carlson
，
**This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review**2 starsHonestly， as someone interested in death care， I was looking forward to reading a book from a hospital mortuary worker （as opposed to a mortician， funeral director， scientist， or investigative journalist）。 Unfortunately， I felt that this book was uninterested in providing any concrete information about death care and was more a rather shallow reflection on what the author ‘learned’ from **This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review**2 starsHonestly， as someone interested in death care， I was looking forward to reading a book from a hospital mortuary worker （as opposed to a mortician， funeral director， scientist， or investigative journalist）。 Unfortunately， I felt that this book was uninterested in providing any concrete information about death care and was more a rather shallow reflection on what the author ‘learned’ from working with bodies （namely: appreciate the time you have and make stuff easy for your surviving family）。 While these are valuable insights， they could be just as well conveyed in an op-ed， and a full-length book was far too bloated a medium for this project。The writing is amateurish and highly repetitive。 The chapters meander， ostensibly arranged to tell chronologically-ordered anecdotes but with no thematic organization。 The same tidbits of information （for example， learning about women who knit accessories for the bodies of pre-term infants） are repeated two or three times。 The author cannot decide whether to call the bodies she cares for “patients，” “guests，” or “clients，” which might have been a fun commentary on the awkward lack of language we have around death but in practice just came across as clumsy。There is little to no mention of the history of the death industry in England （where the author lives and works） or the world at large， aside from noting that Muslim families like to bury their dead quickly。 What little sociological， psychological， or historical insights about death we receive all come from the author’s anecdotes; no outside research has been done on any of these subjects， leaving them all feeling flat （especially because this is a memoir of only a single year working in a hospital mortuary）。The most interesting and new part of this book is the commentary on how the mortuary work changed when COVID-19 hit the UK， which， while crucial， only earned a mention in the last fifth of the book。This book is quite short; it’s still too long。 The repetitive， meandering procession of anecdotes and advice boils down to the author’s lukewarm encouragement for readers to not stress the petty stuff and focus on the positive， because life is short。 Positive as this message is， it’s hardly groundbreaking， and the book does not include the lifetime experience， beautiful writing， or academic research I would expect to back up the space it takes in the telling。 。。。more
Estela Peña Molatore
，
¡Qué libro！ La primera parte me resultó perturbadora， truculenta y por momentos， desagradable。 Pero la forma en que la autora aborda el tema de la muerte， desde su lugar como trabajadora de una morgue， es fascinante。 Explora la muerte cara a cara。 Todo lo morboso， inquietante， extraño y a la vez， todo lo humano y conmovedor de la experiencia de la muerte。
Jeanniehay64
，
I picked up this book as I lost my mum this year and still find it hard without her every day。 This memoir was beautifully and sympathetically written by by Kate who works in a hospital mortuary。 She is surrounded by the effects of death every day and her insight and experiences resounded with me。 Dying is part of life but it still affects the family involved deeply and this is explored with a great deal of love and compassion。 Covid robbed many families of the things which help their grief。 I f I picked up this book as I lost my mum this year and still find it hard without her every day。 This memoir was beautifully and sympathetically written by by Kate who works in a hospital mortuary。 She is surrounded by the effects of death every day and her insight and experiences resounded with me。 Dying is part of life but it still affects the family involved deeply and this is explored with a great deal of love and compassion。 Covid robbed many families of the things which help their grief。 I feel privileged as I had time to spend with my loved one。 The reluctance of society to deal with death is something which needs to be addressed and I feel this book opened up this difficult issue。 Overall the need to spend more time with our loved ones and not to sweat the small stuff was something I took from the book and a lesson I have learned as well。 The process of grieving is unique to everyone and how each person deals with it is beautifully portrayed 。。。more
Sylvia
，
Kate， thank you for giving a wonderful， heartwarming introduction about what happens behind the scenes when someone dies。 I liked how you wrote about how you and your colleagues cared for the deceased。 You showed warmth， sadness， humour and your own vulnerability within your story。 I loved the respect and the support you showed family members。 Moving onto the effects covid had on the relatives and their loved ones。 Linda did so well bringing your memories to life。 It made me feel emotional and I Kate， thank you for giving a wonderful， heartwarming introduction about what happens behind the scenes when someone dies。 I liked how you wrote about how you and your colleagues cared for the deceased。 You showed warmth， sadness， humour and your own vulnerability within your story。 I loved the respect and the support you showed family members。 Moving onto the effects covid had on the relatives and their loved ones。 Linda did so well bringing your memories to life。 It made me feel emotional and I understood more about the impact on the staff who had to deal with the sadness of relatives and the loneliness of the person dying without someone they knew beside them。 This was the best book I have read in both the memoirs and the medical genres - I really will never forget this incredible story。 Thank you both 。。。more
Jen James
，
Sorry For Your Loss is an unusual memoir， it tells the story of Kate Marshall’s first year working in an NHS mortuary。 I’m sure there are many people who would wonder why anyone would write such a book， and even more so， why others would want to read it。 As soon as I read the synopsis， I knew I wanted to read it， I was intrigued。It is really heartening to read the love and care that Kate， and her fellow mortuary colleagues take with their precious charges， our loved ones。 Unfortunately， I found Sorry For Your Loss is an unusual memoir， it tells the story of Kate Marshall’s first year working in an NHS mortuary。 I’m sure there are many people who would wonder why anyone would write such a book， and even more so， why others would want to read it。 As soon as I read the synopsis， I knew I wanted to read it， I was intrigued。It is really heartening to read the love and care that Kate， and her fellow mortuary colleagues take with their precious charges， our loved ones。 Unfortunately， I found there to be exceptions。 Referring to a bariatric patient as “huge” doesn’t feel dignified， I personally feel that isn’t being respectful to that patient。 If the author has written this， I believe somebody in the editing process could have advised removing such a judgemental， unkind description。 I also noted the only time a patient’s specific weight was mentioned， was in bariatric patients。 There are many touching stories， and sadly some incredibly tough situations， when death further divides a family。 The book is highly emotive， it brought tears to my eyes in many places。 The pages talking of Mothers grieving for their babies， I found the most emotional。 A life taken away far too soon， or not even having had the chance to start， must be the hardest to bear。 This diary written book will help to take away the mystery and concern， of what happens to our loved ones when they die。 The lesson from the book is to live your life， not worry about death， and love those you hold dear with all your heart。 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 。。。more
Jan
，
As a retired RN in the states， there are things that I needed to translate into practices where I live， but some things are the same because whether working in a care home or hospital， or even in the medical examiner's office， it's basically the same。 Back in the days when I first became a nurse we had the same clientele and did the autopsies at the main government hospital， this is no longer true where I live。 I was glad to see that there are such caring people to help the grieving and commiser As a retired RN in the states， there are things that I needed to translate into practices where I live， but some things are the same because whether working in a care home or hospital， or even in the medical examiner's office， it's basically the same。 Back in the days when I first became a nurse we had the same clientele and did the autopsies at the main government hospital， this is no longer true where I live。 I was glad to see that there are such caring people to help the grieving and commiserated with all of the necessary negative changes in the systems as dictated by the invasion of Covid-19。I'm not sure how the general public will react to the hard truths of life and death in a city， but those of us who have dealt with the dying and their families （or lack thereof） will hardly be shocked， but will empathize with the author and her co-workers in this （basically） thankless work。 I was riveted to the end。I requested and received a free e-book copy from Ad Lib Publishers， Mardle Books via NetGalley。 Thank you 。。。more
Lau
，
*Thank you to NetGalley， Kate Marshall， Linda Watson-Brown and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。*I think this book is essential in addressing the reality of death and grieving from someone who works in a hospital mortuary。 Although it was hard to read at times， it taught me a lot。 It also made me address how hard-working， respectful and caring the staff can be when dealing with people after they pass away。 There's the stereotype that people working jobs *Thank you to NetGalley， Kate Marshall， Linda Watson-Brown and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。*I think this book is essential in addressing the reality of death and grieving from someone who works in a hospital mortuary。 Although it was hard to read at times， it taught me a lot。 It also made me address how hard-working， respectful and caring the staff can be when dealing with people after they pass away。 There's the stereotype that people working jobs like that are numb and heartless， and I think reading this will reassure people who have lost loved ones。 It is truthful， raw and emotional， so I recommend being in the right headspace for it， but I personally loved it。 。。。more
Gina Kirby
，
Overall Rating: 3。5 out of 5 starsThank you to NetGalley for this ARC！The stories woven into "Sorry for Your Loss" are tragic， yet beautiful。 I think I would have rated this higher had I read it at a different time in my life。 Experiencing loss and dealing with grief = the most difficult circumstance in the human experience。 Kate Marshall does a great job describing her work， but she also takes care in how she presents each life story， each human she encounters。。。 right from the beginning in her Overall Rating: 3。5 out of 5 starsThank you to NetGalley for this ARC！The stories woven into "Sorry for Your Loss" are tragic， yet beautiful。 I think I would have rated this higher had I read it at a different time in my life。 Experiencing loss and dealing with grief = the most difficult circumstance in the human experience。 Kate Marshall does a great job describing her work， but she also takes care in how she presents each life story， each human she encounters。。。 right from the beginning in her work as a cleaning specialist。 Pick this up if you're in the healthcare industry， a therapist， or even someone simply interested in working closely with humans experiencing loss。 。。。more
Jennie
，
Marshall shared her experiences of working in a mortuary and readers are given the opportunity to read true stories of specific cases。 She also outlines the emotional impact for herself and fellow mortuary employees。 I’ve experienced a great loss recently， and this gave me some comfort in knowing that mortuary workers try their best to give our loved ones dignity and respect。 5 stars。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。
Laura
，
2。5 stars The topic of this book is so interesting and it's great that death and dying is being discussed openly。 It is evident that the author does care a great deal about her job and the care she provides to people but unfortunately I found the narrative to be a bit repetitive and sometimes a bit judgemental in its tone。 I think this has the potential to be better if it was edited in a more organised format and certain comments were removed。 Not a bad read but not a great one either。With thank 2。5 stars The topic of this book is so interesting and it's great that death and dying is being discussed openly。 It is evident that the author does care a great deal about her job and the care she provides to people but unfortunately I found the narrative to be a bit repetitive and sometimes a bit judgemental in its tone。 I think this has the potential to be better if it was edited in a more organised format and certain comments were removed。 Not a bad read but not a great one either。With thanks to Mardle Books/Netgalley for the ARC 。。。more
Chelsea
，
A memoir that follows Kate Marshall working in a UK mortuary。I have always loved non-fiction， particularly around medicine and healthcare and anything to do with end of life。 I was imagining this to be similar to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes however I felt disappointed in it。Kate's compassion and kindness is clearly portrayed throughout and the care that she puts into each individual that she cares for。 I especially love how the memoir ended with COVID 19 deaths as it gave a personal perspective in h A memoir that follows Kate Marshall working in a UK mortuary。I have always loved non-fiction， particularly around medicine and healthcare and anything to do with end of life。 I was imagining this to be similar to Smoke Gets in Your Eyes however I felt disappointed in it。Kate's compassion and kindness is clearly portrayed throughout and the care that she puts into each individual that she cares for。 I especially love how the memoir ended with COVID 19 deaths as it gave a personal perspective in how mortuaries and their staff were so heavily affected。With some editing I feel this book could really well - however at the moment， it feels very anecdotal and repetitive， with Kate repeating herself frequently （we cover faith deaths， families asking about the fridges， etc。 in many chapters throughout）。 The book is organised in chronological order however I feel it would have been better to perhaps pair it up by topic or theme as styled in other memoirs。At times I also felt that there was some judgement expressed towards some of the families that didn't really feel necessary - for example， stating that children were "twisting the knife" and being "petty" in the way they spoke about their father and the woman he had cheated on his wife with。 Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC。 I have written this review voluntarily。 All views are my own。 。。。more
Chelsea
，
Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Sorry for Your Loss by Kate Marshall and Linda Watson-Brown in exchange for an honest review。 When I was in college I interned at the Stanislaus County Coroner's Office and learned a lot。 It was an amazing experience and I got my degree in Criminal Justice。 When I saw this ARC available， I thought it would be very interesting as it was like my experience， but totally different。 It's in a different country with different way things are done。 It w Thank you Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Sorry for Your Loss by Kate Marshall and Linda Watson-Brown in exchange for an honest review。 When I was in college I interned at the Stanislaus County Coroner's Office and learned a lot。 It was an amazing experience and I got my degree in Criminal Justice。 When I saw this ARC available， I thought it would be very interesting as it was like my experience， but totally different。 It's in a different country with different way things are done。 It was intriguing to read about how she got there and how well it fit her life。 。。。more
Tammy O
，
“All of these experiences were giving me some clarity。 I was starting to see that some of the things we get hung up on just don’t matter。 I was seeing patterns within the grief。 How love presented itself in death， how families reacted to losing someone， how the way we are in life writes the final chapter。”I thought this was an amazing book， written from a very kind and loving perspective。 I actually finished it several weeks ago and was so overcome by the stories and the author’s observations th “All of these experiences were giving me some clarity。 I was starting to see that some of the things we get hung up on just don’t matter。 I was seeing patterns within the grief。 How love presented itself in death， how families reacted to losing someone， how the way we are in life writes the final chapter。”I thought this was an amazing book， written from a very kind and loving perspective。 I actually finished it several weeks ago and was so overcome by the stories and the author’s observations that I needed to think about my review。Kate Marshall took a subject we are rarely comfortable discussing or questioning—death—and removed some of the mystery by openly sharing her reality of life in a hospital mortuary。 I was impressed by the level of respect and compassion shown for the bodies they cared for， and for the families they helped through the process。Each time I read through my highlighted passages， I think， “Yes—that’s exactly right。” Maybe because my own mother’s death is still fresh， and Kate put many of my emotions into words。 Here are some that I found especially meaningful。 💗“It’s all these little things that people dwell on and want to erase or rewrite。 They beat themselves up about them。 But， actually， do you know what？ It’s often clear the departed were very much loved and they had normal relationships in normal lives。 Those who are left behind， though， often want every single， enduring memory to be a positive one。 Unfortunately， life isn’t like that。 There are some families who do it better than others…”💗“This is why I think we need to talk more openly about death – not just the practical side of things， what we’ll wear and who will get your earrings – but the emotional side， too。 That sounds like a heavy conversation to have but that’s only because we put death in a pushed-away， little box of things that are distasteful to discuss。 We don’t want to upset anyone about it， we don’t even want to raise it。”💗”People whose partners， spouses or parents are no longer with us are expected， too often， to have a time limit on their grief and then the person will never be mentioned again。 The only way to get through grief is to get through it， if that makes sense。 The only way to deal with your new normal is to talk about them。 You go through the pain barrier that way。 It’s awful and it’s hard， but never having a conversation again about who you’ve lost is not the way to pay tribute to them。”💗”I’ve lived among the dead for longer than I would have thought， and they have taught me more than I could ever have imagined。 If I could reach out and thank each and every one of them for adding to the tapestry that has brought me to this place of understanding， I would。 We’ll all go through this and all that I know is that love will be what matters when it’s your time。 Don’t be afraid to show affection， don’t be afraid to stop working and listen to old stories， don’t be afraid of what lies behind the curtain。”Thank you to the publishers at NetGalley for the advanced reader copy for review。 。。。more
Darya Silman
，
A heart-wrenching memoir that brings death right to our threshold - and injects hope for the living。 Kate Marshall reflects upon grief and death in 'Sorry for Your Loss: What Working with the Dead Taught Me About Life，' poignant recollections that make you question your life choices。 Fate certainly had big plans for the author， who landed a job she never dreamt about。 She became a member of the Bereavement Department of a hospital in the UK。 Her labor obligations included， among other things， or A heart-wrenching memoir that brings death right to our threshold - and injects hope for the living。 Kate Marshall reflects upon grief and death in 'Sorry for Your Loss: What Working with the Dead Taught Me About Life，' poignant recollections that make you question your life choices。 Fate certainly had big plans for the author， who landed a job she never dreamt about。 She became a member of the Bereavement Department of a hospital in the UK。 Her labor obligations included， among other things， organizing viewings （the relatives of the deceased come to say their last goodbye）， paperwork for the release of the bodies to funeral houses， body Jenga， switching the bodies inside the refrigerators and freezers to free the space for the new arrivals。 The book， structured according to the chronological order （starting with 2019）， describes the most notable cases， like a woman who visited her deceased baby for two weeks and read books to her and couldn't let the baby go。 The story dispels myths from American TV shows that have nothing to do with reality in the UK。 Thus， the book is much-needed practical guidance for UK residents who know nothing about hospital mortuaries and funerals。 The usage of exclamation marks and the somewhat chaotic character of the narrative is what made me remove stars from my rating。 The stark contrast between the obviously sad topic and the author's excitement （when， for example， relatives took away the false teeth of the deceased instead of his personal items） gave memoirs a flair of naivety。 I can't recommend 'Sorry for Your Loss' to people with mental health problems。 The author directly appeals to the readers' emotions， inviting them to share the grief and sorrow she felt while communicating with relatives of the deceased。 For some people， the emotional element of the story will be too much to bear。 I recommend the book to people not afraid to reflect on life and death。 After all， the author wants the readers to reevaluate their priorities。 'We'll all go through this and all that I know is that love will be what matters when it's your time。 Don't be afraid to show affection， don't be afraid to stop working and listen to old stories， don't be afraid of what lies behind the curtain。'（The quote may be different in the final version of the book）。I received an advance review copy through NetGalley， and I am leaving this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Effy
，
Content warnings: death of people of all ages， grief， Covid， mention of post-mortem， body horror， terminal illness， miscarriage， stillbirthIn this book the reader is taken on a journey through a year of the author working in a major hospitals mortuary。 During the course of this book， Marshall weaves interesting stories about people that have died and those who grieve them with an over-arching message about living life not fearing death。This book definitely left me sobbing multiple times - I was Content warnings: death of people of all ages， grief， Covid， mention of post-mortem， body horror， terminal illness， miscarriage， stillbirthIn this book the reader is taken on a journey through a year of the author working in a major hospitals mortuary。 During the course of this book， Marshall weaves interesting stories about people that have died and those who grieve them with an over-arching message about living life not fearing death。This book definitely left me sobbing multiple times - I was especially not expecting the stories about miscarriages and babies who have died - but there are also quite a number of funny anecdotes。 Every single story is told with the utmost respect and there is definitely a feeling of celebrating and remembering those who have died。This is definitely the kind of book that you need to be in a good headspace to read but the author and their ghost-writer are clearly excellent story tellers which is definitely needed in the kind of book that this is。 。。。more
Arthur Morrill III
，
“Sorry For Your Loss: What Working with the Dead Taught Me About Life，” by Kate Marshall with Linda Watson-Brown （ISBN: 9781914451560， Publication Date: 21 Jul 2022）， earns two stars。The book is a memoir， a series of recollections and reflections， really on death and the living by a person working in a British hospital mortuary。 Frankly， I’m not sure what I expected when I selected this book to read， and having read it， I’m not sure how I feel about it。 I thought perhaps that the book might rev “Sorry For Your Loss: What Working with the Dead Taught Me About Life，” by Kate Marshall with Linda Watson-Brown （ISBN: 9781914451560， Publication Date: 21 Jul 2022）， earns two stars。The book is a memoir， a series of recollections and reflections， really on death and the living by a person working in a British hospital mortuary。 Frankly， I’m not sure what I expected when I selected this book to read， and having read it， I’m not sure how I feel about it。 I thought perhaps that the book might reveal an epiphany or two， but that was not to be。 Instead， many of the anecdotes brought back memories from my days working in hospitals， recalling how the staff cared for the patients， the deceased， and their families。 Apart from that， I thought the book spent too much time of the macabre。 Thanks to the publisher， Mardle， for granting this reviewer this opportunity to read this Advance Reader Copy （ARC）， and thanks to NetGalley for helping to make that possible。 。。。more
Patricia
，
Very repetitive。 It needed a good editor。 Its an interesting read though so I would still recommend it。
Louise
，
This was ok。 Read many like it so maybe made it feel just the same as the others but some interesting and funny stories and ultimately sad ones too。 Not a bad book at all。
Chelsea Pittman
，
Have you ever wondered what happens when a loved one passes and before they go to a funeral home？ Sorry For Your Loss gives a firsthand report of what comes next。 Opened my eyes into a different aspect of afterlife care。 I find mortuary related services to be very interesting。 Explains the processes for managing all ages， religions and types of death。 Includes stories of bizarre encounters with families， heartbreaking goodbyes and struggles。 I would say this reads like a blog or conversation wit Have you ever wondered what happens when a loved one passes and before they go to a funeral home？ Sorry For Your Loss gives a firsthand report of what comes next。 Opened my eyes into a different aspect of afterlife care。 I find mortuary related services to be very interesting。 Explains the processes for managing all ages， religions and types of death。 Includes stories of bizarre encounters with families， heartbreaking goodbyes and struggles。 I would say this reads like a blog or conversation with a friend more than your average book。 At times， I found it to be a bit repetitive。 The author explains how she got into this profession and why she enjoys it。 All handled with utmost respect without being macabre or gruesome。 First hand look at COVID 19 deaths。 The book is written in chapters with dates going right into early 2020 when Covid hit。 The author explains how it started as nothing and became a life changing event。 I think this book and others like it are good for everyone to read。 Death doesn’t have to be scary。 It is nice to know that our loved ones are treated with respect and care。 Thank you NetGalley for sending me this book。 I have written this review voluntarily。 。。。more
Lazy Cornish Cat
，
Thank you to Kate Marshall， Mardle Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。This book although shocking in its content is sensitively written and gives the reader a behind the scenes insight into life in a hospital mortuary。 It wasn't an easy read and won't be for everyone but it was well written and I'd recommend it as a left field book club choice because it would get us talking about the subject of mortality which is a subject none of us want to think about。 Thank you to Kate Marshall， Mardle Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review。This book although shocking in its content is sensitively written and gives the reader a behind the scenes insight into life in a hospital mortuary。 It wasn't an easy read and won't be for everyone but it was well written and I'd recommend it as a left field book club choice because it would get us talking about the subject of mortality which is a subject none of us want to think about。 。。。more
Carol Mageean
，
This was a very unusual book for me to pick - it fascinated me to hear about Katie and her job in the mortuary。 A fantastic insight of the job and the trials and tribulations she experienced on a day to day basis， Katie seems such a wonderful caring and compassionate person who obviously loved the job and cared for the deceased and their relatives。 At times I held my breath with emotion， how she had to deal with difficult relations and the things she was asked to do and yet she still showed grea This was a very unusual book for me to pick - it fascinated me to hear about Katie and her job in the mortuary。 A fantastic insight of the job and the trials and tribulations she experienced on a day to day basis， Katie seems such a wonderful caring and compassionate person who obviously loved the job and cared for the deceased and their relatives。 At times I held my breath with emotion， how she had to deal with difficult relations and the things she was asked to do and yet she still showed great compassion。 The last few chapters that dealt with covid just reinforced how difficult peoples jobs were and yet the expectations and pressure placed on them when they had such despair and exhaustion themselves was hard to not feel great sadness。 I felt this was a very emotional read but told with such great skill that it truly gave you an insight as to what an important job the mortuary plays in our final journey of life。 。。。more
Standa
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A generous and heartfelt tale of life working in a hospital mortuary。 I found it entirely fascinating！From young to old each of us will one day end up in the basement of a hospital but what actually is involved in caring for the dead。 This book tells of the card and compassion provided to those who have died and who loved them。 Sad in parts and humorous in others。 The dead become people again when the stories of their lives are told by those that visit them or indeed when they have no-one。From d A generous and heartfelt tale of life working in a hospital mortuary。 I found it entirely fascinating！From young to old each of us will one day end up in the basement of a hospital but what actually is involved in caring for the dead。 This book tells of the card and compassion provided to those who have died and who loved them。 Sad in parts and humorous in others。 The dead become people again when the stories of their lives are told by those that visit them or indeed when they have no-one。From dealing with mortuary worker wannabes and the insta generation to the ladies who make tiny bassinets for babies from ice cream tubs and knit tiny clothes。 A truly honest account of care after death。 。。。more
Bengisu Molyer
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I really enjoy reading books about mortuaries - especially memoirs。 It's always really fascinating to see what sort of jobs people do， what are the working hazards， what's the emotional toll for working so close to death。。。 I liked most of this book but I would've liked it more if it wasn't so repetitive。 We learn that Muslims need a fast burial， the Irish are rather cheerful when staring at death， the moms who have lost their babies can dress their dead child （which I found to be really morbid） I really enjoy reading books about mortuaries - especially memoirs。 It's always really fascinating to see what sort of jobs people do， what are the working hazards， what's the emotional toll for working so close to death。。。 I liked most of this book but I would've liked it more if it wasn't so repetitive。 We learn that Muslims need a fast burial， the Irish are rather cheerful when staring at death， the moms who have lost their babies can dress their dead child （which I found to be really morbid）。 Then we read about these exacts topics again， and again， and again。 There's nothing new added to them they're just repeated over and over - which gets tedious。 I think the book needs to be edited and tightened up for an enjoyable reading experience。 。。。more
Tamara
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Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a honest review。I love reading about this topic， it's not something you hear a lot about。 The writing was easy to get into and I loved reading about all these different experiences with the dead。Really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend this if this is something you are interested in。I also recommend this for people who work in healthcare， it seems like a lot of people forget this is part of the system too Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for a honest review。I love reading about this topic， it's not something you hear a lot about。 The writing was easy to get into and I loved reading about all these different experiences with the dead。Really enjoyed reading this book and I would definitely recommend this if this is something you are interested in。I also recommend this for people who work in healthcare， it seems like a lot of people forget this is part of the system too and it's really underrated。 It really warmed my heart how much care is taken of the dead and their family。 。。。more
Violet
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2。5 rounded up。I have always been interested in books about death and was really looking forward to this one; unfortunately it did miss the mark for me。 The tone of the book reads quite well - a bit like a conversation; it feels casual but warm， and I liked the author - if I ever have to visit a loved one in a mortuary， I would hope to meet someone like her。 But the book overall lacked dynamism and structure， it felt like a catalogue of dead people and anecdotes rather than a more structured com 2。5 rounded up。I have always been interested in books about death and was really looking forward to this one; unfortunately it did miss the mark for me。 The tone of the book reads quite well - a bit like a conversation; it feels casual but warm， and I liked the author - if I ever have to visit a loved one in a mortuary， I would hope to meet someone like her。 But the book overall lacked dynamism and structure， it felt like a catalogue of dead people and anecdotes rather than a more structured commentary - despite intelligent remarks on the cost of funeral， grief and Covid。 Free ARC sent by Netgalley。 。。。more
Kate Southey
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I loved this memoir！ Kate has a lovely style of writing and it is just like sitting with her while she reminisces， the book sometimes following a thought all the way through to the end but sometimes like a butterfly hopping from memory to memory， a piece of wisdom to a fact about how things work in the mortuary of an English hospital。 I am the same age as Kate with similarly aged children and my thoughts have turned more to my death since Covid has come to town。 My parents have also aged rapidly I loved this memoir！ Kate has a lovely style of writing and it is just like sitting with her while she reminisces， the book sometimes following a thought all the way through to the end but sometimes like a butterfly hopping from memory to memory， a piece of wisdom to a fact about how things work in the mortuary of an English hospital。 I am the same age as Kate with similarly aged children and my thoughts have turned more to my death since Covid has come to town。 My parents have also aged rapidly over the last few years and how I honour them in death， mixing their wishes with my own is very poignant。 Kate is absolutely correct when she says we need to talk about death more in our culture and normalise it。 It has just occurred to me that while I have full funeral instructions for one of my parents， the other hasn’t even mentioned whether they want to be buried or cremated。 When we clapped for the NHS we didn’t think about Kate and her team， after all who thinks about mortuaries at all unless they are forced to， but this book has integrated them （in my mind） into the grand machine that is the NHS: a cog no smaller and less significant than nurses， doctors or any of the other health service staff。 Having read and not rated particularly highly， another hospital memoir that covers the period of the height of the pandemic I totally recommend this one to anyone and everyone。 。。。more
Annie
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A memoir about working in a hospital mortuary， the people she meets （dead and alive）， and how people deal with death。 This was really interesting， a lot of good stories about how differently people grieve and how the mortuary handles different types of deaths。 It read as more a bunch of anecdotes strung together rather than a cohesive memoir with a nice flow。 I liked it though。 3 stars。
Julie Haigh
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